Programmes

 

The Centre carries out its activities through five programmes viz:

·        Cement and other Binders (COB)

·        Wastes Utilisation (WAU)

·        Refractories and Ceramics (REC)

·        Fundamental and Basic Research (FBR)

·        Independent Testing (INT)

 

Thrust Areas

 

·        Establishing limestone consumption factor for cement plants

·        Optimisation of Raw Mix Design for Clinker Quality Improvement

·        Identifying the causes of Build-up formation in Cement Rotary Kiln system and suggesting remedial measures

·        Diagnostic Investigations on Kiln Shell corrosion and suggesting remedial measures

·        Utilisation of Industrial Wastes for manufacture of cement and other building materials.  Such wastes include flyash from thermal power plants, red mud from aluminium industry, slags from various metallurgical industries, refinery wastes from petroleum industry and marble slurry/dust from marble industry etc.

·        Identifying the causes of premature refractory lining failure and suggesting remedial measures for optimizing the lining schemes in the cement rotary kiln system.

·        Deviations in physical performance characteristics of cement 

 
Select List of important projects completed

 

·        Investigations on establishing limestone consumption factors for all             cement plants of Rajasthan

·        Investigations relating to premature refractory lining failure for Aditya Cement

·        Raw mix optimization using indigenous coal for Chettinad Cement

·        Utilisation of Toxic/Non Toxic Solid Industrial wastes/mine rejects for the manufacture of cement and other building materials

·        Effect of Raw Materials and Fuel characteristics on Clinker and Cement Quality

·        Suitability of Lime Sludge, Cinder and Flyash from paper industry for Cement manufacture for Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute   

·        Diagnostic Study for causes for volatile cycles in Kiln system, for Kalyanpur Cements Ltd.

·        Technical Suitability of Lead-Zinc slag in cement manufacture for Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

·        Development of building products utilizing waste marble dust/slurry

·        Utilization of refinery waste in the manufacture of refractory/ceramic products for Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

·        Utilization of red mud in the manufacture of OPC for NALCO

·        Technical Suitability of Copper Slag from Sterlite Industries Ltd. for the manufacture for OPC and PSC.

·        Assessment of utilization of industrial solid wastes in cement manufacturing for CPCB.

Figures/Photographs

 

·        High Performance Refractories for Cement Kilns

·        Bricks from Marble Dust, Cement Bound Marble Tiles

·        Granulation of Blast Furnace Slag

·        Study of phases by X-ray diffractometer

 
FAQs

 

  Q1  What are the different industrial wastes studied by you and for what end      uses?

   A1.  NCB has carried out R&D work on number of industrial wastes.  Some important industrial wastes that have been gainfully utilized in the manufacture of cement are: Lead-zinc slag, copper slag, steel slag and red mud.

 

Q2       We have heard/read about the good performance of alumina zircon    refractory             ricks developed by NCB, in cement plants.  Kindly let us know   its characteristics,             erformance data and availability?

A2       Performance of NCB AZR Refractory Bricks

 

 

NCB-AZR bricks were lined in the cooling zone of cement rotary kiln of             M/s Grasim Cement, Raipur. M/s Grasim Cement Ltd. is having one rotary kiln of capacity 4300 tpd having six stage double string preheater with SLC.

 

 

Earlier the plant was using good quality indigenous High Alumina bricks ( 70 % Al2O3 and 2.5 % Fe2O3 )  in the cooling zone (adjacent to retainer ring) i.e. from  1 metre and 3.4 metre from the outlet of kiln. The plant was not satisfied with the lining performance. Though the average lining life achieved earlier was 6-7 months, however the same was considerably low in the previous three campaigns ( 18 to 56 days owing to retainer ring problem). There was a coating formation over lining, hampering the normal kiln operation and affecting the overall productivity.

 

 

NCB undertook the challenge to improve upon the situation, studied the plant operating conditions and recommended the plant to install NCB-Alumina Zircon Refractory bricks which are designed to combat the severe thermal spalling and high hot erosion resistance characteristics, besides other excellent high temperature properties including anti coating characteristics. The installation of AZR bricks was carried out under the supervision of experienced engineers of NCB who supervised the brick installation round the clock to ensure proper installation.

 

 

The kiln was lighted in the third week of Dec’2003 and since then plant got trouble free performance. NCB-AZR bricks had successfully completed more than 240 days trouble free  operation going well beyond the guaranteed life period of  180 days.  At the time of lining replacement, the lining condition was intact and there was no sign of any heavy coating or build up, radial/axial displacements, pittings, spalling and the lining thickness was between 150-180 mm. Under these conditions, it could have easily given life more than one year. Considering the excellent performance of AZR bricks, plant had again installed these bricks at the same location

 

 

Wear Pattern of AZR bricks after 240 days of use

 

 

The use of AZR bricks has tremendously improved the overall productivity of the plant. The results obtained during first trial clearly indicated  that with the use of AZR bricks in the cooling zone of the CRK, the kiln downtime has been  reduced leading to increased production, neat cost of bricks have been reduced, fuel have been saved due to reduction in frequent kiln shutdown/startups and controlled kiln shell temperature.  

 

 

 

After achieving excellent service performance of AZR bricks in the cooling zone of their kiln, Grasim Cement, Raipur again installed these bricks at the same location and the kiln was commissioned in the last week of Sep’2004. The plant got trouble free kiln operation for a record one year and AZR bricks were replaced at the time of annual maintenance.  At the time of lining replacement, the lining condition was intact and this time also there was no sign of any heavy coating or build up, radial/axial displacements, pittings, spalling and the lining thickness was between 120-150 mm. Considering the excellent performance of AZR bricks, plant had again installed these bricks at the same location third time successively.

 

 

Characteristics of NCB-AZR Refractory Bricks

 

 

 

Characteristics

Value

Chemical

ZrO2         %

8-10

Al2O3       %

70-72

Fe2O3      %

1.8-2.2

Physical

B.D.         g/cc

2.90-2.95

A.P.          %

18-22

CCS         kg/cm2

> 650

Thermal

PCE     Orton cone

36 min

RUL (ta oC)

1600-1620

Thermal spalling

               950 oC /air quenching

              1300 oC /  water quenching

 

> 150 cycles

> 50  cycles

Thermal Conductivity

             At 600 oC

             At 800 oC

             At 1000 oC

 

1.30

1.57

1.63

 

The technology to manufacture these bricks have been transferred to M/s Continental Refractories P.Ltd. at Indore.

 

 

 

Recent Beneficiaries – A Select List

                   

-            Aditya Cement

-            Chettinad Cement

-            Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

-            Central Pulp ad Paper Research Institute (CPPRI)

-            Government of Rajasthan – Department of Miens & Geology

-            Grasim Industries

-            Hindustan Zinc Limited

-            Indian Oil Corporation

-            Kalyanpur Cements Ltd.

-            Ministry of Environment & Forests Ltd.

-            National Aluminium Company (NALCO)

-            Shree Cement Ltd.

-            Sterlite Industries Ltd.

-            Ultra Tech Cement Co.
Activities and Services

 

·                              Broadening and rationalizing the raw material base

·                              Developing High Performance Refractory products and their technology                  transfer

·                              Developing newer cements and building products

·                              Reducing Energy consumption

·                              Optimising formulations for tailor made products

·                              Utilizing low grade raw materials, Fuels and Byproduct wastes

·                              Trouble shooting in cement and allied industries

Independent Testing

 

NCB’s NABL Accredited Independent Testing Laboratories  - at its Ballabgarh Unit provide the facilities utilizing the most modern equipment at competitive rates.  The laboratories undertake complete physical, chemical mineralogical and microstructural analysis of various types of cement, clinker, pozzolana, aggregate concrete, admixtures, wastes, refractory, bricks, limestone, coal, lignite and other raw materials etc. as per the national and international standards.

 
Facilities Available

 
  • Automatic Setting Time Measuring Apparatus
  • ACTM 100 KN (Automatic Compression Testing Machine)
  • Automatic Fitness Measurement Equipment
  • Water Premeability Apparatus
  • Metrohm 781 pH ion meter
  • Mettler Toledo Titrator
  • Genesys 10 UV Sepctrophotometer
  • C-H-N Analyser
  • Heating Microscope upto 1650°C
  • Simultaneous Diamond TG/DTA thermal Analyser

High temperature rapid heating furnace upto 1600°C